Plushie
by Hisoka's Secret
Summary: Plushies are adorable. Fluffy stuffed toys made for cuddling and snuggling up with. They are always with you. Plushies are mysterious beings. But what happens when your plushie does something out of the ordinary? Well, Sienna is about to find out. Plushies are interesting indeed. Real World AU! Plushie Comes To Life fic
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Oh Gon, don't look at me like that, I'm getting turned on~" A low, seductive voice drawled. I sighed absently, sitting cross-legged on my bed, my eyes fixated on the 9-inch screen of my sleek, silver laptop. The red-headed clown was in the midst of executing his signature 'schwing' movement and I grinned. _Hisoka is so cool~_ I thought to myself, rewatching yet another episode of Hunter x Hunter. This was the fourth time I was watching the Heavens' Arena episode on Gon and Hisoka's fight. I had fallen in love with the Joker the first time I had seen him, when he made his debut appearance in the Hunter Exam arc, where he reduced a participant's arms to nothing more than flower petals. He immediately struck me as an enigmatic, pyschotic pedophile. And what did I do? I fell in love with him. Most of the Hunter x Hunter fans I knew of loved Kurapika or Killua, but not me. I was the weird one. I loved HISOKA. Of all people, I chose to love the sadistic clown with a thing for little shota boys. Way to go, Sienna.

I flopped back onto my belly, my face inches away from Hisoka's. Okay, fine. Inches away from the computer screen. I nestled my chin in between the palms of my hands and gazed at the screen, my headphones on. My eyelids slowly fluttered closed, with the sound of Hisoka's alluring voice ringing in my ears.

* * *

I woke up with a start. My face felt terrible. I lifted my head carefully. My brow furrowed. I had fallen asleep on my laptop. My right cheek had been plastered onto the keyboard for- I glanced wearily at my digital clock- 5 hours?! I reached up to rub away the creases and lines in my cheek. I couldn't feel my left arm, nor my right foot. How had I fallen asleep like that? I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing the numb areas. I needed circulation, goodness. I closed my laptop and set it onto my bedside table before tumbling back into bed, laying spread-eagled on top of the blanket, as I drifted into slumber once more.

* * *

I woke up for real this time, 3 hours later. No, no, my alarm clock hadn't sounded yet this isn't right... I looked at my clock again. NOPENOPENOPE. Exactly 3 minutes later, I ran out the front door, hair uncombed, uniform unkempt, face unwashed, socks unmatching, stomach unfull, a piece of plain bread in between my teeth, and a backpack over one shoulder, unzipped.

School was fine, pretty much. I was alone, as usual. I had always been alone, for 15 years of my life, I was alone. My parents were always out working, I had few friends, because I was a weirdo who liked anime, while everyone else drank and smoked. Yup, I was the "weird" kid.

Dark storm clouds were brewing as I trudged along. I quickened my pace and arrived home soon enough, picking up the newspaper along the way. I placed it on the dining table. There was a note there. It read "Sienna, there is some pizza in the fridge. Heat it up for dinner. Your Dad and I will be back late. Love, Mum."

I picked up the note and sighed. Almost every day it was the same. Your dinner is in the fridge, remember to eat, don't go hungry, we'll be home late, don't stay up and wait for us. I retrieved the cold pizza from the fridge. There were 3 small slices. I placed them in the microwave and heated them up. _Oh! I have to collect the mail._ I opened the door. It was pouring. I found an umbrella and ran outside into the cold, wet night. Opening the letter box, I fished out some letters and a parcel. Clutching them tightly, I ran back inside.

I shook of the droplets of water from the umbrella and set the letters and the package on the table. I sorted through the letters. For Mom, For Dad, For Dad, Dad, Mom, Mom... I set all the letters aside, on top of the newspaper. I looked at the package.

'To Sienna', it read in messily scrawled writing. My eyes widened and a rush of adrenaline pumped through my veins. _A package? For me?_ Then doubt flooded my mind. _What if it was a scam?_ I stared at the dubious package. It was about the size of a small shoebox, awkwardly shaped, wrapped in brown wrapping paper. I gingerly picked it up. It felt rather soft. I turned it over and over. But there was no name. I couldn't find the name or the return address of the sender. It was all extremely curious.

The microwave beeped loudly and I went to collect the piping hot slices of pizza. I munched thoughtfully. I was so curious. I had never received a letter before, let alone a package. But on all the other letters I had seen before, there was always the address of the receipient, as well as the sender, in case the letter got bounced back. But this package was strange. It only had my name, not even my address! How, then, had the package gotten there? A loud clash of thunder sent shockwaves down my spine and I shivered, rubbing my bare arms. I shook my head. Never mind that, it was addressed to me, I should open it, right?

Slowly, I lifted the small brown package and placed it in my lap. With two fingers, I plucked away the tape holding the brown wrapping paper together and peeled them away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I blinked in surprise. In my lap, lay a small plushie, dressed in a magician's costume, no, more like a Joker's outfit. It had red hair, slanted eyes which were narrowed into slits, and a mysterious grin on its face. The entire plushie was made of a soft fabric. I blinked down at it. It was Hisoka. A Hisoka plushie. Hisoka had been chibi-fied! My heart soared. I had always wanted something like this! I would go to the stores selling anime merchandise ever so often and scour the shelves for Hunter x Hunter things, more specifically, Hisoka related products. There were Hisoka badges, Hisoka files, Hisoka keychains, even mugs with Hisoka's face on it. I saved up my pocket money, scrimping and saving, to buy a couple of badges and keychains. But not once had I ever seen a plushie of Hisoka. None. At all. I looked down curiously at the Hisoka plushie. It smiled crookedly back at me. I grinned. It was adorable. Of course, chibi or not, I loved Hisoka and I lifted the plushie close to my face, its yellow green eyes inches away from mine. I cuddled it to my chest and smiled. Whoever the mysterious sender of this wonderful parcel was, I wanted to grab him and swing him around and jump for joy. I simply had to find out who he was. I had to thank him for his gift! But...

The wrapping paper made a crinkling noise as I scrutinised its sandy surface. There were no other markings except for my name. I was completely befuddled. I folded the paper into a rough square shape and tucked it into my pocket. I would definitely get to the bottom of this. I carried the Hisoka plushie in the crook of my right arm as I finished up my dinner and washed up. But for now, I decided, I would leave things be.

I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I set my plushie down on my bed, quickly changing into home clothes. I flopped down on my bed beside the plushie, lying on my tummy. I gazed at Hisoka. He looked back at me, with those beautiful eyes of his. I laughed out loud and threw the plushie into the air, catching it as it came. I cuddled it to my chest, squeezing it tightly._ I have a Hisoka plushie!_ I thought excitedly. The Hisoka plushie seemed to be grinning even wider.

A bright flash of lightning zapped right outside my window, immediately followed by a loud crash of thunder, rattling the windows. I yelped and dove under the covers, clutching my Hisoka plushie to my chest. I felt warm and cozy in my bed. Now that I had my plushie, I had nothing to fear. Another clash of thunder boomed outside and I wrapped my blanket even tighter around my body. It was so warm here... My mind began to drift. I looked at Hisoka. Its eyes bore into mine. _Hisoka... Promise me you'll be here for me, when I wake up, you'll stay, and this is not just a dream... _My eyelids grew heavy and my vision blurred. _Promise me... Ne, Hisoka?_ I drifted off into a deep slumber.

The Hisoka plushie's eyes seemed to sparkle, just a little, as if to say, I promise.

* * *

The next day came, and went. Then a week came, and went. School was normal, particularly boring, in fact, if it were not for Hisoka. I brought the plushie to school every day, keeping it hidden in my bag. The people at school would definitely tease me if they found out, I decided. I could just imagine the horrible things they would say.

"Oh look, little Sienna's got a stuffed toy!"

"Awww it's so 'cute'! Just like your face!"

"Ha! Why don't you just run back to your mommy?"

"Ew! It's so ugly! You're so weird!"

I grimaced. It wasn't new, but it still stung.

Knowing this, I still brought the Hisoka plushie. For some reason, it brought me comfort and assurance. I always experienced a feeling of security whenever I had it with me, even though that might not be the case.

School ended and I walked off, taking my usual route home. I reached up and fished my Hisoka plushie out from my backpack, tossing it up and down, throwing and catching it. I laughed gaily. The Hisoka plushie grinned back at me, with that lopsided smirk.

As I turned into a secluded alley way, I froze. I heard the faintest sound of footsteps. My heart began to race. Don't panic, I told myself, It could just be another stranger going home. Nothing to worry about. I forced myself to continue walking. I held my plushie close to my chest for comfort. Footsteps. I was quite sure I heard them now. I stopped abruptly, listening intently. They stopped too. Beads of perspiration rolled down my forehead and my breathing came in short bursts. _Was I... Was I being followed_? Panicking, I broke into a run, my backpack thumping against my back, my sneakers soaked through from stepping into muddy puddles. I could hear the footsteps growing louder and louder as my heart thumped faster and faster. I was a hundred percent sure that someone, no more than one person, were chasing after me now. My fear mounted, I was terrified of the stalkers. _What do they want from me?_

All of a sudden, a large hand clamped over my mouth and I let out a gasp. Muscular arms wrapped themselves around my body, pulling me towards an unknown stranger. I felt my body press against another damp, warm body. I could feel the muscles rippling under the cotton shirt the stranger wore. My scream was muffled by the large hand covering my mouth, but at least I could still see. I thrashed about, frantically trying to free my arms from his vice-like grip, but to no avail.

I stared hard at my attackers, trying to focus on their features. There were three of them, all tall and muscular, with large builds. Even the shortest of the three was at least two heads taller than me. They all wore black cotton T-shirts and dark coloured jeans, as well as a black mask, to conceal their identity. One of them on my right, the shortest one, had his large hand clamped tightly over my mouth, his other hand held a gun. Another one had his long arms wrapped around my bodice in an iron grip, trapping my arms, pressing me into him. The last one, the tallest of them all, and possibly their leader, held a long, sharp dagger in his right hand. He slowly removed his mask, revealing his unshaven face, with a crooked criminal grin. He had missing teeth.

"Well, well, well," The leader rasped. His voice had a sand paper quality to it. He held his dagger under my chin and my breathing hitched. "Pretty girl, what are you doing out here, all alone?" His other hand reached out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. I jerked my head away, glaring back at him. I was absolutely petrified, but I wasn't about to show him that.

"Feisty." He commented, his grin widening. I kicked the man behind me in the shins. The man holding me captive snarled and squeezed even tighter. I gasped as his arm touched my chest. He used his elbow to lock my arm and I winced, inhaling sharply. _Someone... Help me, please! _It was too painful. I dropped the plushie onto the muddy ground. None of the men seemed to notice.

The leader stepped closer to me. When he opened his mouth to speak, I could smell the rancid odour of spoilt meat and alcohol. "Don't worry, pretty girl," His free hand reached up to tug at my uniform, his hand slipping under the thin fabric to touch the bare skin of my stomach. I gasped loudly. _Please,_ I thought desperately, _Somebody, please just help me! _

"I'll make sure that you'll enjoy yourself tonight," The leader cackled loudly, his voice raspy, showing his yellow teeth. The other two men chuckled as well, and at that moment, I felt as if my whole world had just ended. A tear crept out of the corner of my eye. I blinked it away, squeezing my eyes shut, I hoped against hope. _Someone... SOMEBODY... __**ANYBODY! SAVE ME!**_

The raspy chuckle ceased abruptly, and so did the others. There was a gasp and some movement and I felt the man behind me stir, his body tense. I opened my eyes. The leader who had been standing in front of me had suddenly fallen to his knees. He was gasping for air. I looked closely. In the centre of his forehead, his chest, in each of his shoulder blades, there were four perfectly pristine, poker cards. They were impaled accurately, and where each of the cards were buried in his flesh, there was a smear of red liquid, slowly spreading from the wound. The rasping man coughed and for the first time, I noticed the tall figure standing just metres away from him. He was tall, red-haired, dressed in a Joker's outfit, adorned with suits symbols, a clubs and a spades. He wore face paint, with a maroon star on his right cheek and a spring green teardrop on his left cheek. His eyes were narrow slits and his eyebrows were arched. His grin was mysterious and yet seductive. His posture was relaxed, his right leg slightly in front, his right arm poised to attack, a single poker card held expertly between his fingers. He smiled widely, just as the leader took one last shuddering breath, and slumped to the ground.

The remaining men shifted uneasily. I gazed at the red-haired man, who glanced in my direction and smirked, just a little. My eyes widened and my face flushed. _Could it... Could it really be...?_ My mouth turned dry, but I still opened it. I couldn't seem to get the word out.

"Hisoka?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The magician cocked his head to one side, regarding me slowly. The corners of his eyes tightened as the merest hint of a smile formed on his lips.

Fwp! Fwp fwp fwp! The sound of air whistling past my ear made my hair stand on end, and I heard four dull thunks as the iron hard solitaire cards made contact with my captor. The burly man's grip on me slackened and he took in a sudden breath. I immediately turned around and shoved him in the chest, his lanky arms falling away from my body, the cards sticking out from his forehead, knees and a spot just above his heart. The man shuddered and keeled backwards, falling onto the muddy ground with a muffled splash.

The last remaining man looked utterly shaken. He tried to hold his gun steady with both hands, but they still shook violently. He aimed his weapon unsteadily at the red-headed magician.

"D-d-don't m-m-move! S-stay r-r-right where you are!" The man squeaked, his voice a notch higher than it should have been. "Move, and I-I'll sh-shoot!"

Hisoka's stance was comfortable, examining a poker card in his right hand. Without even looking up, he replied, "Go ahead then."

The man looked flustered. At that point, I realised that I was in a dangerous position. I was a mere meter away from him and it was best that I move away, I began to back away, before-

Too late.

It was as if a lightbulb had appeared above the man's head and he turned sharply towards me; his eyes had a malicious glint. His left arm shot out towards me, stubby fingers outstrecthed and before I even had time to react, he had me by the neck. I spluttered. He had yanked me backwards with such force that I was sure my windpipe was damaged. I coughed. I felt something cold and hard pressed into my right temple. With a chilling realisation, I understood. Pressed into the side of my head, was the barrel of a fully loaded gun. My stomach seemed to have sunk deep down into the place where my gut should have been. I dared not even breathe.

"If you move a finger, I'll kill her." The man's voice was hot against my neck but I dared not struggle. Not this time. Not when a gun was pointed at my head.

The magician froze. Slowly, he lifted his head to stare at the man. His gaze then shifted to me. His expression was unreadable. My heart was pounding hard and fast. I am going to die. This is the very real truth. I am going to die. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. I am going to-

Thunk. A loud scream right next to my ear nearly deafened me and the owner of the scream scrambled backwards, dropping the gun and letting go of me. I stumbled forwards, catching the side of the wall for balance. I looked up at the screaming man. A single solitaire card was sticking out of the back of his right hand, which had held the gun just moments ago. I watched the scene unfold, slightly bewildered. The screaming stopped, and was reduced to piteous whimpers when the magician expertly threw another three cards at the man. He whimpered in pain for a minute, before slumping down onto the ground, unmoving.

Still clutching the wall, I breathed hard. I dared not look up. I was afraid as to what I would see. But slowly, I raised my head. And tripped backwards in surprise. The magician was standing directly in front of me, towering over me, my head only reaching his shoulders. _How...? He had been a couple of metres away just now!_ I stuttered, eyes wide, "H-Hisoka! Wh-what...? What are you doing here?" The magician merely smiled at me, twirling a card between his long fingers.

"That is the question, isn't it?" The magician leaned in closer, his yellow green eyes shining as they stared into my own brown ones. I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. Hisoka chuckled. Then, he raised his right arm and positioned a razor sharp solitaire card under my chin. I took in a sharp breath.

"Sienna, Sienna~" He leered, all the while leaning in closer. I didn't even question how the magician knew my name.

"Asked me to promise to be there for her, when she wakes up, to stay, and that it is not just a dream?" My mind reeled. I remembered; those were the exact same things I had mumbled in my near conscious state to the Hisoka plushie. I didn't move.

"I can assure you my dear, this is not a dream," Hisoka continued, his face now inches away from mine. I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. His other hadn reached out, and the flat of his thumb trailed down the side of my face. My breathing was uneven, my heart was slamming itself against my ribcage. His thumb, surprisingly warm, had reached my chin, right where he held the solitaire card. He gripped my chin firmly and tilted my head backwards, leaving my neck exposed. I was at the mercy of Hisoka and his poker cards. Knowing Hisoka, I knew he was capable of anything and everything. He was unpredictable. I gulped. He had just saved me from a horrible fate, but he was also on the verge of killing me himself.

"Are you scared?" Came the low, leering voice.

Silence.

"No." My voice came out surprisingly even. I mustered all my courage and looked the magician straight in the eye. "I- I'm not afraid."

The magician raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"You- you just rescued me. You wouldn't kill me." I blurted recklessly. Hisoka chuckled. He moved his card closer to my bare throat. "Wouldn't I?" He challenged, the delight evident in his sultry voice.

I didn't need to think. "I'm not worth killing." I answered simply. "You aren't interested in weak victims. I'm just- I'm just an ordinary girl. I'm not worth your time." I said. My heart dropped, just a little. Yeah, I wasn't worth his time. I was a silly little girl, with a silly little head, dreaming of a silly little fantasy. I wasn't even sure whether I was even awake.

The magician surveyed me for a second. Then he smiled, his eyes becoming tiny slits. "That is correct. You aren't worth killing." Although I knew it was true, I still felt a pang. Hisoka, or maybe it was just my imagination making it up, even Hisoka said that I was worthless. My gaze dropped from his face. I started examining my muddy shoelaces. They were soaked through with dirty water.

"But," Hisoka left his sentence hanging. I froze, not wanting to look at him "But what?" The magician grinned, enjoying himself tremendously. "But then why would I still save you when you are not worth killing?"

My heart nearly stopped. My eyes widened, my brain trying to comprehend what he had just said. What on earth did he mean by that? Yes, he had just saved me, that much I wns sure of. But the reason, I hadn't. I whirled round. But all I saw when I turned, was a small plushie, lying in a dirty puddle, three large bodies lying sprawled on the wet ground around it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Three weeks later found me sprawled on my bed on a lazy Saturday morning, staring at Hisoka. Again.

"Come on, Hisoka, come on."

"I wasn't seeing things, was I?"

"Please come out and tell me I wasn't seeing things when you saved me from a bunch of rapists."

"I'm sorry I just need to know that I'm not going mad."

"Hisoka?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Yup. I was definitely going nuts. Talking to a stuffed toy. That is totally what a sane person would do. But then what happened? I most certainly did NOT imagine the disgusting men, holding me captive in a dark, dingy alley way. I shuddered. And somebody must have saved me. I shook my head. No, it couldn't have. H-Hisoka couldn't have... come to life. Yeah I know I've read enough fanfiction to see all these funny little scenarios where plushies come to life and save the flailing female OCs (Own/Original Characters) and they live happily ever after but that is just nonsense. I was probably delirious that night. Yes, that's probably it. I had to find my saviour and thank him. I owed him my life, if not for him, I would have been... Goosebumps appeared all over my skin and I shuddered again. Hisoka is just a fictional character. An anime character. I love him, but there is no way that he can actually come to life and save me or anything. That stuff only happens in fairy tales. And since when did a pedophilic, masochistic clown save anybody anyway? In an overwhelming wave of confusion and disappointment which came from where I knew not, I hurled the plushie into the opposite wall. It bounced off and landed in a dusty corner. Stupid brain. What was I thinking.

I lay back down on my bed, huffing loudly. Turning my head sideways, I caught a glimpse of my digital clock. 10.23 a.m. _Ughh. But I don't wanna get up._ I rolled back onto my front. _I'm hungry_, my stomach whined loudly. _No_ I told it. _I'm tired leave me alone._ I closed my eyes. _But I'm huuunnnggrrryyyyy_ My stomach churned stubbornly. Annoyed, I pushed myself off my bed and plodded downstairs. The dining room was empty and so was the kitchen. My parents were already out at work, like they usually were on Saturdays. I took a step onto the cool marble floor of the kitchen and began preparing some cereal for breakfast. I poured myself a bowl of cornflakes and thought, _Since I'm up anyway, I'll just do some baking today while I'm at it._ I set the bowl aside on the dining table before returning to the kitchen after retrieving a bag of all-purpose flour, a carton of milk, a bunch of bananas, some sugar and raisins. As I set about making the batter, I let my mind wander back to that horrific day once more.

The man's rancid breath on my shoulder, the cold barrel of the gun at my temple, the shock of... Him suddenly appearing there... But, it couldn't have been Hisoka. I've ruled it out. Right? No, no, no. There was no possible way that an anime character came to life! It just didn't happen! In the spur of the moment, my arm accidentally knocked a bowl of water off the counter and onto the marble floor. I picked up the bowl and looked around for a towel, but there was none readily available. I sighed. I'd just have to be careful until I cleaned it up. I poured the batter into the muffin molds and placed them in the oven carefully and took note of the time. 10.44 a.m. The muffins would be ready in half an hour. I retrieved my bowl of cereal and went back to the dining room to eat. Beside the dining table, there was a tall bookshelf filled with novels. I selected an old-looking novel from the array of collections, its leather binding fading slightly. It was one of my favourites, The Whispering Willow. I turned the page and began to read.

I didn't know how long I had been reading, lost in another world of fantasy and wonder. I only knew that at some point, I had begun to smell something foul and burning. I wrinkled my nose, turning the crinkly pages. What was that smell? Suddenly, I remembered. I glanced at the clock. 11.51 a.m.

I hurriedly set the book down and dashed into the kitchen. In my haste, I forgot about the spilt water and because of the speed that I was running at, I slipped and there was a fleeting moment when I was almost floating in the air, parallel to the ground below me. And then I slammed, bottom first, onto the cold, marble floor. Everything was happening in slow motion. I felt a sharp pain shoot through my lower back, but before I had any time to cry out, my head banged against something hard and sharp. The pain in the back of my head was excruciating and I gave a cried out. I felt slightly dizzy and light-headed from the fall, the stench of burning food made it even worse. I tried to get up, but when I tried to sit, the sharp pain in my back heightened to a piercing sting and I cringed, and was forced to lie still. My head was throbbing horribly and I could feel the rush of blood in my ears. Something wet was trickling down my neck and I gingerly reached up to touch my fingertips to the back of my head. I raised my hand in front of my eyes and saw a deep red stain on my fingers. _Is that... My blood?_

I instantly felt a whole lot worse, and my vision blurred. _Dammit..._ I thought, my brain groggy. _The oven is going to be damaged, Father will be so angry... I can't... _My head begun to spin. Black dots appeared in front of my eyes and I tried blinking them away.

Vaguely, I saw a tall figure move to stand in the doorway. My heart begun to pound furiously against my ribcage and my whole body went cold. Nobody else is home. _There shouldn't be anyone here! Am I hallucinating?! _The figure moved closer to me and my heart raced even faster. _Shit no, who is this person?!_ I have to get up! I inched away from the figure, and winced. My tailbone and lower back hurt and my head was still throbbing, but there was immediate danger here and I had to do something! My legs felt something solid and I inched my back upwards so I could press my back against the wall. I tried to focus on the figure. It was tall, and as far as my eyes could make out, quite muscular. My head started to pound and I looked away.

"Who are you?! Stay away!" My voice was hoarse with fear and I coughed, and tried again. "Don't come any closer!" I held my left hand out in front of me, my right arm supporting my back. I heard the figure chuckle. It was a male. _Great. Why was it that recently there are more instances of men who are after my blood?_

The man moved closer and he reached out to touch me. I shrieked tried to hit his arm away, but he grabbed my arm instead. "L-let me g-go," My lips were trembling in utter terror. "N-n-now."

The man bent down and pulled me forwards, such that I slumped towards him, my head on his shoulder. The man chuckled again. He put one arm on my back, and slid another under my knees and then lifted me up as he stood. Perfect. Now he's going to take me to some creepy place and kill me. _Oh shit. Shitshitshitshitno I ain't gonna let this happen again bloody hell. _With all the remaining strength I could muster, I clenched my hands into fists and hammered the stranger's back with them, kicking and struggling against his grip. "Put, me, down, right, n-now!"

"Is this what I get after being thrown into a dusty corner of your room? My, my, you have some manners to learn, young Sienna."

I froze. What- what did he just say? His voice, no, it couldn't be. No. WAY.

Right before I lost consciousness and slumped into the man's arms, I looked up, straight into his piercing yellow green eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Hello Readers! I don't think I've introduced myself, I'm Xae and thanks for reading! I'm sorry it took so long :'D But here is Chapter Four! Next Chapter coming soon (I hope :P) Until then,**

**~ Xae :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I had an uncomfortable period of rest, in which I was in a state of hazy subconsciousness and spinning headaches. When I finally came to, I was lying on my bed, a soft quilt tucked in just under my chin. I felt something soft wrapped around my head. Bandages, perhaps. I breathed deeply, before peeling my eyelids open. Everything was slightly blurry, and I had to blink a few times to allow my vision to clear.

Someone chuckled into my right ear, a light, tingling sensation. I flinched instinctively and shrunk back into my pillows. Turning my head, I stared at the man sitting beside my bed. My heart dropped into my stomach.

The red headed magician was sitting, one leg crossed over the other, in an armchair. His two index fingers were stretched out, toying with a pink, elastic substance with one end attached to each finger. Hisoka noticed that I had awoken and smiled, his yellow-green eyes twinkling. He leaned down and caressed my head softly. The moment his fingers touched my head, I felt a familiar warmth wash over my body, and my head stopped throbbing. I opened my mouth to speak, but I could only manage, "H-His... Hiso- Hiso- " The magician's smile widened.

"Take care of yourself, Na-chan. Who is going to kiss you better when you're all alone at home next time?~ " Hisoka interjected, staring down at me. I didn't know how to speak. The magician reached down to tuck my hair behind my ear, the same way as he did it the first time we had met, and I shuddered slightly. Hisoka's expression became mildly concerned.

"Are you cold, Na-chan?" I shook my head no.

"Hi-Hisoka, " I finally managed to choke out. "Why- why are you- How is it possibl- "

"Shhh."

His finger lightly touched my lips, a signal for me to be quiet. "You're not hallucinating." I shook my head, blinked a few times, then looked up. I didn't think this red-headed jester with his gelled up hair and atrocious clothes, topped off with high-heeled boots, was a mere figment of my imagination.

"But then, why did you come, how did you even- " I started again, determined to get to the bottom of this. Scared as I was, I was confused enough, and I needed answers.

A poker card, seemingly appearing out of thin air, was suddenly uncomfortably close to my throat. Hisoka smiled coldly. I gulped.

"Hush." I hushed.

"As I mentioned before, Na-chan, I'm not going to let you injure yourself before I can have some fun~ " His yellow green eyes bore into mine again, and I could feel my heart rate increase tremendously. "And now, what you need is to sleep." He smiled again, straightening up, lowering the poker card from my neck.

"Wait, Hisoka, I- " He turned back to look at me. "Go to sleep, Na-chan."

Suddenly, my head felt woozy again and my vision blurred. My eyelids grew heavy, and I strained to keep my eyes open, but it was too difficult. I fell back into a fitful sleep.

* * *

The next day, I woke up to a few concerned queries from my mother about the bandage around my head, to which I replied that "It was just a small cut, nothing to worry about" That seemed to satisfy her for a while, as she had to rush to work for an important presentation and without another minute to spare.

And in the days that followed the incident, I had been thinking things over very, VERY calmly. Very calmly indeed. I'm talking locking the plushie in a store room cabinate and running down the hallway hyperventilating and then locking myself in the bathroom and sitting in the bathtub fully-clothed with the taps on full blast sort of calm. I'd say I was handling the situation very well.

... Yeah fine I wasn't.

But HEY how would _you_ react if _you_ found out that _your_ plushie could literally come to life and freak the living crap out of you? I had come to the conclusion that, firstly, my Hisoka plushie was no ordinary plushie and it could indeed, come to life (although I hadn't figured out what were the patterns for it coming to life, seeing that it had only happened twice so far). Secondly, my Hisoka plushie wanted to kill me, and yet didn't want me to die just yet. Oh boy. Thirdly, **it would not go away. ****Literally**. I had tried so many ways to make it stay away from me, but _it just kept coming back like some magnetic force I don't even know what's going on._ I was slightly worried about when Hisoka might decide to pop out, and that was why I tried distancing myself from it. But it didn't work. I tried leaving it at home when I went to school once, and it appeared in my school bag the second I reached school. I left it at school once, in my locker. The plushie was on my bed before I had even arrived home. It was seriously freaking the living jeebies out of me. And when I go to bed at night, I try not to look at it, but in the morning, it's always on my pillow right next to me. I don't know how to feel about this one, it's a mixture of anxiety, horror and yet, strangely exciting. Yes plushies coming to life are incredulous and unbelievable, but this, this is my favourite character of all time. Hisoka. It would really be a dream come true. If only I could count out the part about killing me. It seemed pretty awesome in the anime context, but now it's happening to me, I'm not sure I like it all that much anymore...

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guyssss~ Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter (although it was pretty short ^^") See you next time!**

**~ Xae**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

In the next few days and weeks and months that followed, Hisoka seemed to be appearing more and more frequently.

It started out slowly. The time between his first and second appearances was about 3 weeks. After the second incident, he appeared again after two weeks. And then, he started coming every week. And lately, I couldn't go 3 days without him appearing once. One time, I had taken a bad fall down the stairs at school while I was rushing to class. It was the first time that he had appeared in school and I had absolutely **freaked out**.

* * *

"I am so so so so late, my teacher is going to murder me if I don't- AAH!" My feet slipped on the wet staircase landing and I lost my balance. My right leg gave way and I went crashing down the stairs. I tried to grab on to the hand railings and swing myself back up, but my fingers slipped and I body slammed the wall. My entire right side went numb and my tailbone hurt so bad.

I heard a rustling noise just behind my ear and suddenly, I was hoisted up into the air. The abrupt stop of my painful and unsightly descent down the stairs knocked the breath out of my lungs and it took me a few seconds to register what had happened.

I looked up, and the magician flashed a cynical smile back at me. "Falling again, are we?" My eyes widened, like they did every time the redheaded jester appeared.

"HISOKA, no, NO What are you doing at my _SCHOOL_?!" I whispered urgently at him, turning my head from side to side rapidly, making sure that nobody else was around. It would all be over if someone were to see his ridiculously gelled up, bright red mane of hair. He merely smiled back at me. I scowled.

"Hisoka, this is getting ridiculous, you can't just pop out everywhere, as and when you like! I wasn't even in that much trouble!" I winced slightly as Hisoka's hand gently pressed my lower back. He raised an eyebrow. I groaned.

"It's nothing, really! Now please go away, people could come by any second!"

"No."

"What?! Why?"

"You're hurt." My face flushed slightly. He really did sound sincere this time, but I shook it off.

"Why do you even care? Besides, I am very late for my next class, put me down!"

"No."

"Hisoka!"

The red haired magician slipped into a small unused broom cupboard with me in tow and closed the door behind him. Five minutes, a bottle of ointment and a lot of grumbling later, Hisoka finally let me out and I ran all the way to class.

* * *

Given his more frequent appearances, I had somewhat managed to figure out under what circumstances Hisoka would appear. Most of the time, it would be when I was in trouble. The first time, when those idiot kidnappers-slash-rapists (ew) had taken me, the second was when I had injured myself, knocking my head on the sharp edge of a drawer, and a few other instances, like when I nearly fell all the way down a few flights of stairs, or when I got lost in a dark, unfamiliar part of town because I overslept and missed my bus stop. Hisoka had appeared out of nowhere right in front of me and scared the jiblets out of me.

"Ah where is this creppy place, this doesn't look familiar at a- FREAKING HELL HISOKA do you need to do that all the _friggin time_?!" I glared up at him. "You really need to give me some warning, you know?"

Hisoka twirled a poker card between his fingers. "Mm~ Well that wouldn't be very fun anymore, would it, now?" I eyed the card in his hand warily. He saw me staring and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't use it unless you're being difficult~ " He flicked his wrist, and the card was gone. Smiling his usual twisted smile, he fell into step beside me. I tried ignoring him, and proceeded to look around, trying too figure out which direction to go.

After about 3 minutes, Hisoka asked, "Could it be that, you are, perhaps, lost?" I ignored his question and continued walking, determined to find my way home by myself. Another few minutes passed.

"You've been walking in the wrong direction for the past 15 minutes."

"Eeeeehhhh?!" I stopped abruptly and whirled around to face Hisoka. "Are you lying?!" Hisoka smirked and shrugged. "Maybe~ But does this place seem remotely close to your home?" He gestured around to the dilapidated houses and buildings. I sighed, and shook my head.

I closed my eyes and leaned against a wall. I was so, so tired of walking around in circles. How long has it beenalready? 1 hour? 2? I didn't know. It was late and I was just exhausted.

"Hisoka," I asked, "please, just show me where to go. I'm lost. I wanna go home..." He chuckled, and the ne t thing I know, I'm hoisted up onto his back, my arms wrapped loosely around his neck, my legs dangling across his waist. "Hi-Hisoka what- "

"You asked me to show you home. I'm bringing you home, Na-chan." I pushed against his back. "I can walk by myself. I'm not hurt or anything."

"Be quiet." He told me. His tone was strange, something I had never heard before. Was it... Was it gentleness I heard? Caring, even? That was new. Could it be that... he cared for me? My heart pumped faster. He has been looking out for me, but always because he wants to 'play' with me later... I shuddered. I was terrified, but now I'm not so sure...

* * *

Hisoka made his latest appearances, even when I wasn't in trouble. I was just minding my own business, doing my homework or cooking lunch, and he would just appear suddenly. I had gotten pretty used to them by now, and I could even say that I was comfortable with it, especially since he had stopped threatening me with his cards lately. Maybe because I was more 'cooperative'. Who knows? Hisoka is a mystery.

It is pretty nice to know that someone is there for me, watching out for me. My parents are hardly ever around due to their busy work life and I'm an only child. When Hisoka first appeared, I was terrified and shocked. But as time passed, I grew fond of him, used to his appearances. It felt as if I had an older brother, albeit a psychotic one. I felt safe when he was around. It's unnatural for a plushie to come to life, but this made Hisoka's appearances all the more special, and I felt special. It's as if his appearences was specially for me, and that it was just the two of us who knew about these secret meetings...

For the first time since Hisoka became more than just an anime character, more than just a stuffed toy mailed to me in a mysterious package, I felt something more for him. After all the apprehension and caution and doubt I had had for him, I began to feel something else... I wasn't sure whether Hisoka truly cared for me, but his attitude had changed a bit, in the time that I had been with him. He seemed kinder somehow, and I truly did trust him.

* * *

But then, something changed. Something changed this perfect little secret I thought we had. **No**, in fact, **it had never changed. **Our secret, was never just our little secret. I was just ignorant. **I didn't know.**

* * *

**A/N: What's up guys~ Another update for y'all! I'm sorry if it seems a bit vague, but I rpomise some action will happen in the next few chapters! Until then,**

**~ Xae**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It seemed strange that even after all these months of craziness and total weirdness, with strange and magical things going on, I am still unable to wake up on time.

Another beautiful Monday morning found me yelling bloody murder at my alarm clock which failed to wake me at 6.30am. Stumbling around, I attempted to pull on unmatching socks, as well as try to get my bed hair to cooperate with me. Within the next 7 minutes, I was out the door, half hopping, half running to the bus stop outside my house. _Geez_, I muttered to myself. _Why can I never wake up on time..._ Then a thought occured to me. What if Hisoka could get me to school? He could always appear out of nowhere in the blink of an eye and disappear again, maybe he could get me to school on time- I laughed. The thought was so outrageous. How could I ever ask the clown to do such a trivial thing for me? He'd probably kill me first, to say the least. That was just insane. I had just rounded the corner to see my bus pulling away from the bus stop. _Ack-!_

I began to run at full speed. "Hey! Wait- Stop! " My bagthumping against my back, my legs pumping faster and faster. Darn it if I was late for school again-

I didn't realise how far I had run. I didn't know that my feet had left the cement pavement and were thudding rhythmically on the rough tar road. I didn't know that I was in danger. I didn't know that I was running on a busy traffic road during peak hours on a Monday morning.

"Wait! Stop!" I panted, trying to catch up.

The bus was getting further and further away. Suddenly, I heard a loud honk, as if the source of the noise was right beside my ear. I whipped my head to the left.

A large cargo truck was honking, heading straight towards me.

It was 4 metres away. With every millisecond, it was coming closer, and closer. My entire line of vision was blank, except for the imminent arrival of this enormous vehicle.

3 metres away. Time seemed to slow down, as my eyes widened, trying to register what I was seeing. I knew I had to get out of the way, quickly, quickly. But my legs seemed frozen, stuck, unable to move.

2 metres. The noise was deafening. _Move! I have to-_

1\. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact that would crush my body into an unrecognisable mess of bloody flesh and bones.

But it never came.

In a sudden rush of wind, I was pushed- no, more like carried- up and off the ground, and swept clean off my feet. I felt like I was flying, sailing through the air. My mind automatically assumed that Hisoka had, yet again, saved my life, but I didn't open my eyes to check. I merely clung on tight to my rescuer's shoulders for dear life, my eyes squeezed shut.

Only when we had landed safely and my feet could feel the ground, did I let go and open my eyes. It appeared that we were on the roof top of some sort of building. I turned to face My rescuer.

"I'm so sorry Hisoka, I- "

I looked up at the person who had saved me, expecting a tall, muscular man, with fiery red hair and excessive make up, decked out in a ridiculous suit. Instead, I was greeted with a much shorter person, with a head of curly white hair, bright blue eyes, a casual yet stylish outfit, and a skateboard.

My eyes widened.

"Killua?!" I exclaimed, my jaw dropping. "How- "

The white haired boy merely shrugged, putting one foot on his skateboard and expertly manoeuvring it such that it landed in his outstretched arms. "Hey, Sienna. Look, there's something you need to know."

I nearly choked on my saliva. How did Killua know my name? Damn this entire thing was getting crazier by the second. "What- wait, hold on- " I took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm not even going to ask how you know my name, but why did you come instead of- "

"Hisoka?" Killua finished. "Yeah well that's what I was going to tell you about. That old man is seriously annoying." He scoffed, beginning to pace, a frown appearing on his face, replacing his previously mischievous smirk. I opened my mouth to ask something, but Killua held out a hand to stop me.

"Hold up, just listen. Hisoka, he- " Killua paused, putting his hands in his pockets and turning one full round to look me directly in the face. Then he let out a slightly frustrated sigh. "That clown has been getting a heck of a lot complaints recently, 'coz he didn't follow instructions- "

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I interjected, feeling extremely confused. "What instructions." Killua stared at me, his electric blue eyes drilling into me. "You don't know?" I shook my head, feeling even more confused.

"Fine, for your sake, I'll start from the top. Rules: Kid gets a plushie of you, means your help is needed by them, so they become your owner. Many kids can get plushies of you, so that means that they are all your owners, so you don't just have one owner. And, of course, it goes without saying that you're not allowed to chose your owners, and you should not show favouritism to any particular owner. The catch is, you can only appear to help 'em if they are in serious danger and require your assistance. " Killua looked back at me matter-of-factly. "Didja get all that, miss Sienna?"

I nodded slowly. Right. Of course I wasn't the only one with a Hisoka plushie that just so happened to be able to come to life. Of course. "Go on, " I told Killua.

"Anyway, the clown broke one of the rules by showing favouritism, and because of that, he couldn't tend to all his owners properly."

Favouritism. My heart sunk, for some reason. He favoured someone...

"Wait, then that doesn't explain why you're here." I questioned Killua.

"I bent one of the rules, that's why I'm here. If I hadn't come, what would have happened?" Killua threw a question back at me. I was silent for a while. Killua was right. Either way, he did save my life.

"I- Thank you, Killua." I replied softly. "You must have had trouble, trying to help me when I'm not even your owner." Killua coughed loudly. "I-it's not that, I-I just, AHEM, well- " I smiled. Killua, always the tsundere.

"Ahem, A-anyway, " Killua continued, clearing his throat. "I think you should see this." His tone grew serious. He held out his hand to me. I stared at him quizzically, a bit apprehensive. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on, take my hand, I'm not gonna bite, geez." I smiled a bit at his response, and reached out and took hold of his hand.

"Hold on tight!" He warned.

And suddenly, we were flying. We were whirling through an incredible dimension. Multitudes of patterns and swirls of different colours flashed before my eyes, and each time I blinked, the patterns changed, and every other second, the surroundings turned black, until finally after what seemed like eternity, we landed on solid ground. I tripped due to the sudden stop, and nearly fell, but Killua caught my arm and put a hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. He then put a finger to his lips to signal me to be quiet.

I nodded, and straightened, looking around. We were in... someone's house, someone's bedroom, probably. It was huge, and rather messy. Killua tugged my arm gently and I looked up at him. He pointed at something to my right, and I turned.

I nearly yelped, but Killua clamped his hand over my mouth again. Just a small distance away, two people were talking. Killua pulled my arm down and we crouched behind a sofa.

"Hnnn~~ But I missed you so much~ " A voice crooned. It was female. I squinted at the silhouettes and could just make out the figure of a girl walking towards someone sitting down.

"Oh? Really?" My heart stopped. Hisoka. It was his voice, I was sure of it. I looked at the figure sitting down, and sure enough, as the rays of sunlight shone on the man's face, it was revealed to be the magician himself.

"Mm hmm~~ Why didn't you come sooner~~" The girl's voice was sickeningly sweet, and I watched as she crawled onto Hisoka's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and placing her head on his shoulder.

I felt sick. I couldn't watch this anymore. It was too much for me. I was ignorant. I thought that- it was embarrassing to admit- but I thought that I was the only one whom he spoke to, I thought, I was unique. Reality hit me. It wasn't so simple. Of course, I was one out of possibly thousands of people. He treated me exactly like he treated every single one of his owners. I was nothing special. He was merely doing his job. All that talk about wanting to save me because I was worth saving, all those times he came to my rescue, all fake. Fake feelings. I was stupid to have thought that maybe he had changed, and that he might have developed some feelings towards me. All stupid. I was stupid.

"Sienna?" Killua stared at my face, concerned. He leaned forward and wiped my wet cheeks. "You're crying." I looked at him, trying to keep my face neutral.

"Killua," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "Please. Bring me home." Killua nodded. Perhaps he might not have understood why I was crying, but at least he was kind enough to help me. Killua stood up, and gently, he lifted me up, and allowed me to rest on his back. I closed my eyes, unable to stop the tears coming.

The trip back home was dull. The vibrant colours swam in my wet eyes and became a mist of distorted patterns. The colours and swirls were muted. All I could see was black.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but I do remember that the last thing I felt, was the touch of a hand against my cheek, and the soft down blanket of my own bed.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guys~ I wanted to update on Jan 1 a few days ago but I procrastinated ~-3-~ Sorry bout that, but here is Chapter Seven :) I hope you liked it~**

**-Xae**


	8. Chapter 8

"It's all your fault!"

The white-haired boy stormed into the room and threw himself into the nearby armchair, glaring at the tall man standing at the opposite end of the room. "Seriously, she was nearly killed, what were you thinking?!" Killua raged, his forehead furrowed.

"Come on, Killua-" The boy with spiky black hair hopped off his own perch and went over to soothe his outraged friend. "Hisoka didn't mean to do it on purpose, did you, Hisoka?" Gon turned his head from Killua to the redheaded magician, and back again.

Silence.

"Hisoka?" Gon inquired again.

The clown's face was a mask, devoid of emotion. He leaned against the wall, twirling a card between his fingers, his signature Ace of Spades.

"As I've mentioned earlier," The magician finally spoke, his voice chillingly icy. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

* * *

**Author's Note: HELLO EVERYONE I AM NOT DEAD. It's just a short update because I recently received notifications of some new reviews and it spurred me to just drop a little sneak peak as to what's going to happen next in the story. My exams are coming up, so this chapter was really short, but I'll write more when I have the time! Cheers!**

**-Xae**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Everything is dull. The days passed, weeks passed, even months passed and the red-haired magician is nowhere in sight. True, I haven't been in any mortal danger, I am perfectly fine. Physically, that is. Life went back to normal, sort of. School, lessons, home, study. Just that same monotonous cycle. Even Killua doesn't show up. I manage to fix my alarm clock, so I wake up on time now and my teachers are pleased to see me not late at school for once. Gosh, I'm so pathetic. The only interesting thing in my life has disappeared without a trace and I act as if the world is ending. I continue my trudge home.

It's a rainy Thursday afternoon and I'm on the way home from school. Another mundane rainy Thursday afternoon it is. I pass by the Ginger bookstore and Hot Polly Pizzeria as I go. The pizzeria seems to be hiring part-timers, according to the tattered sign on the murky glass window. I stop walking and indulge myself in a few moments' consideration. Perhaps if I took up a job I wouldn't feel so listless at home all the time. To be honest, a couple weeks after Hisoka decidedly exited my life, I would finish my homework fairly quickly, and then I'd been reduced to staring and toying with the plushie, the only remnants of his visits, the only object I had left to hold on to my memories of him being real. Now, the plushie is stuffed in a dusty corner of my closet, with the ugly plaid trousers and oversized T-shirts of bands I used to like years ago. It had stopped re-appearing wherever I went, so I took that as a sign that Hisoka wanted nothing more to do with me.

It's time for me to make a change in my life. I take a deep breath and push the door to the pizzeria open.

I've been here quite a few times, just to get dinner for myself, and sometimes Mum and Dad. It serves decent pizza, not the best, but edible, and it's the only pizzeria near my house, so go figure. There's always just one server, a young girl perhaps 2-3 years older than me, who is always chewing some sort of gum. It's a small pizzeria with only a couple of rickety tables and chairs, one server is alright, I guess. On this rainy Thursday afternoon, Hot Polly Pizzeria is empty. Somewhere inside, a bell tinkles and I hear voices. I walk up to the counter and wait patiently. A few minutes later, the server girl comes out from the backroom and gives me a once over. I look at her too. She's wearing her usual raspberry chapstick (I can smell it from here, she put way too much), crop top spaghetti strap, ripped denim shorts, and an apron. Her hair is a dirty blonde colour, bunned up on the top of her head.

"Grab a seat I'll take your order in a sec," she dismisses me with a wave, popping her bubble gum. I clear my throat and reply softly, "Hi, err I'm here to apply for a job?" I point to the sign on the window. "You guys seem to need a server or something...? I'm here to apply for part-time."

The girl looks me over again, and I can tell from her expression she isn't pleased.

"Server? You gotta be kiddin' me," she snorts, then spreads her arms. "Look around this place, girly. I think this place has one more server than necessary." Her face darkens. "I'll get the manager."

As if on cue, the door to the backroom swings open and out steps a balding middle-aged man. He is wearing a white polo T-shirt and a benevolent smile.

"I heard that, Lizzi, well that wasn't very nice of you," the man frowns slightly, feigning hurt.

"Gramps, you know this place is going bust and you wanna keep hiring?" Lizzi can't contain her disbelief.

"Hi there, I'm Freddrick, but you can call me Fred, or Mr Fred, if you'd like," he extends a hand to me, ignoring Lizzi's outburst. "What's your name?"

"Sienna," I reply, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Well, Sienna, how old are you, might I ask?"

"16 this year."

"That's alright. I think we could use some help washing the dishes, and serving as well, when Lizzi here takes off days. She's been taking more off days than usual, so to keep this place running, we've got to hire someone." Beside him, Lizzi scoffs and I can hear her mutter "It's just a few days, geez what's the big deal? Not like he's gonna lose money when I'm not around, nobody comes here anyways."

"Okay, I'm all for it."_ Good for you Sienna, making a change, stop wallowing. You are not the damsel in distress anymore._

"Great! You can start tomorrow afternoon, Lizzi will show you the ropes." Mr Fred shakes my hand again and claps Lizzi on the back before turning to leave. Lizzi shoots me a disdainful look, blowing another bubble with her gum, before she too disappears into the backroom.

"See you tomorrow, girly."

* * *

"Don't drop the dishes, dammit!"

At her sharp voice, I do very nearly drop the dishes stacked in my hand. I grab the wall beside me with my other hand and steady myself, before turning to give my 'superior' a look.

"Maybe if you stopped yelling at me all the time, I wouldn't," I tell her patiently, making my way to the already overloaded sink to dump the dirty dishes. I pull on the thick rubber gloves Mr Fred had given me a couple weeks ago when I'd just started and turned on the tap.

"Whatever," Lizzi pops her gum, leaning against the counter top beside me, arms folded across her chest. "I'll be taking an off day tomorrow, you know the drill. Don't break anything, don't steal anything, and if you take my gum," she pops her gum again and narrows her eyes at me menacingly. "I'll know about it."

"Oh no, I wouldn't ever think to do such a thing." I reassure her, grinning down at the dishes I'm scrubbing. She clicks her tongue and nudges my head playfully with her knuckles.

"Just get cleaning, girly. Or you'll be here till midnight." With that, she stalks out of the backroom.

After I'd arrived, business seemed to improve slightly, for some reason. Weekends, especially. Maybe it was because I'd taken to mopping and sweeping the place twice a week, even adding a few decorations I'd found lying around at home, just to spruce the dull pizzeria up a bit. Mr Fred looked very pleased, and he told me I could come every afternoon if I'd liked, or even just 4 afternoons a week was fine, he'd pay me the same. Mr Fred was a generous man, I'd discovered and I'd always drop by to help whenever I could. I had nothing to do anyways, this helped me pass time and earn some extra income to help Father and Mother. I'd told them about my new job over a hurried breakfast one morning and they seemed quite pleased with the news.

I finish the dishes and start cleaning up the place. I glance at the clock. 9pm. Lizzi's probably already left. I peek out into the main room. It is empty but for a gruff man sitting in the corner, his grubby windbreaker zipped all the way up, cap pulled down low over his eyes. There's a slice of uneaten pepperoni pizza in front of him.

"Hi, sir, we're closing soon, I'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave-" I start, approaching the customer courteously. The man stands up suddenly, the chair screeching loudly on the ceramic tiles. There's a flash of metal and it takes me a second too long to realise that the man standing in front of me has drawn a small knife gripped in his right fist. My body doesn't even have time to react. Within a second, the gruff man has closed the distance between us and aimed the knife at my exposed throat.

"This is a robbery." The deep, coarse voice reverberates in my eardrums as my brain registers the meaning behind his words. "Give me all the money in the cash register." Shakily, I raise my hands in the air, shoulder width apart, palms facing him in a position of surrender.

"Let me… get the money," I tell him slowly and as calmly as I can manage._ Don't be an idiot, Sienna, you've been through this before, stay calm, think of something._ The weight of my hand phone stuffed in my back pocket reminds me that I still have a chance. Ever so slowly, I inch over to the counter where the cash register sits. The man follows me, taking a step forward with every step I take back.

I consider the situation. We have to pass by two more tables and a couple more chairs before reaching the register. My eyes sweep my surroundings slowly. Maybe I can get the police on speed dial while hiding in the backroom. The counter doesn't have an emergency button to dial the police, and the cash register up front has the day's earnings, a considerable amount, about a hundred or so. What to do...

"No sudden movements," he warns as we approach the register, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Okay. I'm just taking out the key to the register." My hand reaches to the back of my pocket and slowly, oh so slowly, I pull out my phone. In the split second that follows, I act.

With as much force as I can muster, I kick the table and chair on my right in front of me, in a bid to block the robber's advance. I can hear the man stumble and curse and my heart rate quickens. At the same time, my finger presses the speed dial button and I punch in 9-1-1, hurtling to the backroom and wrenching the door open. But before I can press the call button and shut the door behind me, I feel my entire body being dragged back by the scruff of the neck. I panic and try to elbow my assailant's torso, but he is too big to budge. I am about to kick him in the crotch, but I feel the cool metal blade resting just above my collarbone, pressing into the skin of my neck.

"Drop the phone."

I do as I'm told. My phone clatters to the ground. I messed up.

"Open the register. Now. No more games." The annoyance is clearly audible in his low hiss.

With the knife pressed against my neck, I walk to the cash register. I'm sorry Lizzi, Mr Fred, I couldn't protect it. I'm sorry.

"Hurry up!" The man was growing impatient, and I felt the blade dig into my throat and pain shoots through my body as the blade draws crimson blood.

I am determined not to cry. I reach the counter and pop the register open. There are a number of fifty dollar notes, and assortments of tens and fives here and there. Oh. There is more than expected. A wave of guilt washes over me.

The man lets go of me and shoves me to a corner with such force that I am not expecting, and I involuntarily lose my balance and crash into the edge of the counter. My arm goes numb and I crumple to the floor, blood oozing from the gash in my neck. I see the man grabbing wads of dollar notes and cramming it into his pockets and I feel a wave of defeat._ No, I can't let him get away with this._ I eye my phone that's a few meters away. I inch towards it, keeping a watchful eye on the robber. Just as I grab the phone, the robber freezes, his eyes rivet towards me and he lunges at me and I scream, an ear-splitting, blood-curdling scream. Because his knife was inches away from my face. His body is on top of me, tense, hands reaching for my phone, clawing, and me, desperately trying to shake him off.

All of a sudden, I feel his body slacken and I scramble out from under, shaking. And then I see it.

A solitary poker card, sticking out from the prostate man's back.

I feel my world spin and everything grows blurry as I look around wildly for the source of the poker card. He shouldn't be here. _The plushie was supposed to have stopped working. Why is he here?_ I promised myself I wouldn't cry over him, but the tears were disobedient as they splashed onto my bloodstained shirt.

I feel him before I see him. Familiar hands under my knee and back, sweeping me into a bridal carry and automatically, I lean my head into his chest. He smells of rose perfume and blood. I hear the high heels click clack on the polished tiles. Click, clack, click, clack.

"I need to… lock up the place," I manage, pushing against Hisoka's chest. I will not let him just waltz into my life and treat me like another fragile good he has to care for. I can hold my own, just like I've held my own all those months he had left.

"Already done." I shudder. I have forgotten how soothing and lustrous his voice sounded. I raise my head and see the place neat and tidy, no sign of disarray, the robber's body dragged out and left on the street outside Hot Polly Pizzeria. Hisoka walks out the door and bends down, one hand keeping me close to his chest, the other reaching down to lock the door.

"How…"

"I know you keep the key in your left pocket, sweetheart." He dangles it in front of my eyes as he chuckles, slipping it back into my pocket.

"Stop… I hate you…." I murmur, my eyes closing. I shouldn't feel so at ease with him. He had left me alone for months. Months!. He didn't come when I cried and begged. He had a favourite. A favourite. Why was he here now? A rage consumes me and I pull my uninjured arm back to punch him in the jaw. My fist makes contact but he doesn't flinch.

"I… hate… you…" My fists aren't so much as feathers against Hisoka's chest and he ignores my attempts to resist his grip.

"Why… why did you come… back…"

He continues walking, ignoring my question.

"Why?" I scream, tears coursing down my cheeks.

"You left! It was better without you! I don't… need… you…" A sudden fatigue washes over me and my eyes flutter closed for good.

* * *

_Silly girl._

Hisoka sighs as he sits down beside the sleeping girl's bed, his eyes roving over her newly-bandaged wounds. He'd done a decent job patching her up, he thinks, frowning as he tries to remember Machi's lessons. He shakes his head. Whatever. His eyes continue to roam. Her hair had grown longer. She had lost some of her baby fat on her cheeks. He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Without another word, he disappears from her room.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! It's been waaay too long, but I've finally updated! *dances* I hope you haven't lost interest D: Thank you for sticking with me and reading Plushie! See you next time!**

**~Xae**


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